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How to manage the mental somersaults, avoiding brain damage and brain rewiring from reading news?

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I think you just nailed it there.
Bravo.

(... And get joy where you can. Even if it's just music. Most of us here on ASR are extremely fortunate in the big scheme of things ie we have food, water, shelter.)

The glass remains half full.
 
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I yearn for the days pre 24 hour rolling news , pre internet and smart phones when the only tv news available was the early evening 6pm news (15 mins) and the late evening news at 9 or 10pm ( 30 mins). Newspapers were already 24 hours out of date. We got through the post war and cold war times like this and I'm convinced people were as well informed but less anxious as a consequence compared to the information overload we have today both factual and non factual.
 
Chr1 said:
Most of us here on ASR are extremely fortunate in the big scheme of things ie we have food, water, shelter.
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I am very comfortable considering my station in life and I do appreciate this very much. Very much... I try to pay it forward everyday.
 
Indeed. I guess the difficult bit is not getting jaded by all the bad stuff in the world. Definitely harder as you get older, I reckon. When you are young you are generally too busy having fun!
Anyhoo, I try to aim for the glass half full outlook... and holding on to a bit of youthful daftness/joy/lust for life or whatever you want to call it. (music and motorcycles work for me)
I also don't do social media.
YMMV.
 
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If a person has nothing to do but digest news all day they need a different life. Media companies get rich in advertising fees while feeding fears and misery. Turn them off. All of them - left and right. Set your sights on other things. You will never benefit from their slanted views.

You'll be much happier getting away from confrontational news and spending time with other people. In fact, if you really want a happy life. Find ways to make the lives of other people better. Start a scholarship drive for your local Christian school. Help out at the food bank. Help a neighbor with yard work. Be a friend. Think of new ways to do fun things with the wife. The only news you will care about after this priority transformation is making life better for those around you! Surprise, your life will be amazingly happy as well.
 
I avoid all news now. I did go to independent media for a bit, but a lot of these people despite being more measured and balanced are really in it for financial gains etc, plus any news is just someone else's opinion because that at a state level or an individuals ideology. Combine the fact both types like to use clickbait type headers vand such it's just like it's all pretty fake to be honest. They say no news is good news, and to be honest I find myself in a more zen like state without either faction trying to sway my way of thinking. Internet has just killed the information space even more so, ironic really when it should do the opposite.

Journalism though is long dead, I don't think there's any way back for it to be honest, and A.I is becoming a big problem in the information space as it's a lazy way to create a story. I detest A.I, I have unsubscribed from YouTube channels using horrendous A.I thumbnails as it shows laziness and the fact the content going forward will be more A.I driven.

If anyone hasn't tried it, give up the news completely for a couple of weeks, you will feel a lot better.
 
I am currently reading/digesting this book on freedom of thought. Written by a neuropsychologist professor. So not political. He will roast both liberal and conservative thinking as the data he has leads. More a case of both use the same methods with some ill effects on us regardless of the politics behind it. It is cogent with our modern situation concerning how media effects our thinking for good and ill. Along with what freedom of thought means. I don't know that he offers solutions as such as much as a survey of our situation. I'm only part way thru the book. It is already rather enlightening about simple things you don't notice. Rather like the idea a fish never notices the water even though they live in it. Or another variant that we don't know who discovered water, but it wasn't a fish. So it might help put yourself and the news of the world into a perspective making it more comfortable to manage and ignore when it should be ignored.

 
I follow simple rules: I want to know what happens in the world every day, but I have chosen to only use the two news agency sites. They only spread the news, naked and raw, without any particular "embroidery". I don't use social media. I always distrust those who have the truth in their pocket, especially in humanistic, philosophical, political and cultural subjects. An old adage says: when there is only one truth, doubts begin. I trust science, and I always substantially agree with the statements: I don't trust gurus, gurus, know-it-alls at all, those who in short have understood everything and claim to teach on the basis of personal suppositions.! I still take it for granted that the academic world is fundamental for the circulation of ideas, and for the creation of new objectives that concern the various aspects of humanity. clearly all influencers remain outside my door and, in particular, all those who are recognized as entrepreneurs of news and advice...
 
Mikig said:
I follow simple rules: I want to know what happens in the world every day, but I have chosen to only use the two news agency sites. They only spread the news, naked and raw, without any particular "embroidery". I don't use social media. I always distrust those who have the truth in their pocket, especially in humanistic, philosophical, political and cultural subjects. An old adage says: when there is only one truth, doubts begin. I trust science, and I always substantially agree with the statements: I don't trust gurus, gurus, know-it-alls at all, those who in short have understood everything and claim to teach on the basis of personal suppositions.! I still take it for granted that the academic world is fundamental for the circulation of ideas, and for the creation of new objectives that concern the various aspects of humanity. clearly all influencers remain outside my door and, in particular, all those who are recognized as entrepreneurs of news and advice...
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What two news agency sites do you use? It is very difficult to get anything close to raw news. I know of some local sites for my location. Of big sites maybe Reuters isn't terrible, but not without a slant either.
 
Blumlein 88 said:
What two news agency sites do you use? It is very difficult to get anything close to raw news. I know of some local sites for my location. Of big sites maybe Reuters isn't terrible, but not without a slant either.
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I live in Italy, and I use ANSA and AdnKronos. For Europe I use Euronews.
 
According to https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-news-source-.rzNXHtgRHmlGZfpXyBXSw
search of "What News Source is unbiased" you get this output. :)

Based on the search results, the news sources that are considered the most unbiased and trusted for unbiased reporting are:
  1. Associated Press (AP)
    The Associated Press is consistently ranked as one of the most unbiased and reliable news sources. It is a non-profit news agency that aims to report the facts without bias or opinion.
  2. PBS NewsHour
    Research has confirmed that PBS NewsHour is one of the most trusted and unbiased news sources, ranking higher than outlets like FOX News, CNN, and others.
  3. Reuters
    Reuters is another news agency that is widely regarded as providing objective, unbiased reporting. It is known for its factual, straightforward coverage.
  4. 1440
    1440 is a news curation service that aims to provide unbiased, fact-based news summaries from over 100 sources, with no editorializing or opinion.
The search results indicate that while it is challenging to find completely unbiased news, these outlets are consistently ranked among the most reliable and impartial sources for news reporting. They focus on presenting the facts without political spin or personal bias.

If you believe the AI (which is just a digestion of searches) then this is your least biased reporting. It's difficult to find any reporting that is absolutely FREE of bias .
 
I do too. But radio only. The TV news is utter sh**.

Along with the dumbed down cats stuck in trees type coverage, there's been a trend to have drawn out inane idle chat amongst the presenters which makes me reach for the remote super fast now. WTF.
 
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DavidEdwinAston said:
For my sins, here in the UK I "trust" the BBC.
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In the US I watch BBC World, Deutsche Welle (DW) in Berlin, NHK Japan and PBS New hour, All are very good and neutral.
 
amper42 said:
According to https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-news-source-.rzNXHtgRHmlGZfpXyBXSw
search of "What News Source is unbiased" you get this output. :)

Based on the search results, the news sources that are considered the most unbiased and trusted for unbiased reporting are:
  1. Associated Press (AP)
    The Associated Press is consistently ranked as one of the most unbiased and reliable news sources. It is a non-profit news agency that aims to report the facts without bias or opinion.
  2. PBS NewsHour
    Research has confirmed that PBS NewsHour is one of the most trusted and unbiased news sources, ranking higher than outlets like FOX News, CNN, and others.
  3. Reuters
    Reuters is another news agency that is widely regarded as providing objective, unbiased reporting. It is known for its factual, straightforward coverage.
  4. 1440
    1440 is a news curation service that aims to provide unbiased, fact-based news summaries from over 100 sources, with no editorializing or opinion.
The search results indicate that while it is challenging to find completely unbiased news, these outlets are consistently ranked among the most reliable and impartial sources for news reporting. They focus on presenting the facts without political spin or personal bias.

If you believe the AI (which is just a digestion of searches) then this is your least biased reporting. It's difficult to find any reporting that is absolutely FREE of bias .
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PBS and AP are ridiculous choices for this according to my opinion.
 
Being ancient I've lived through the Viet Nam war era. I'm kind of immune to political angst. I experienced enough relatively early in life that I've developed mental calluses. I don't have any suggestions to help others and wish I did. I do my best to roll with it. Political issues, unless they're directly related to audio have no place here.
 
sam_adams said:
My grandfather—who grew up in the era of Hearst Yellow Journalism—told me when I was just a little pisher, "Don't believe anything that you hear and only half of what you read and always, mind your own beeswax."
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My grandfather, born 1896, said, "They're all crooks." In the '80s I worked for a guy about my dad's age whose father was an alderman in a mediumish town in PA. He also said, "They're all crooks."
 
Doodski said:
Yes, I have when accessible used LSD when I was in my late late teens and early 20s. It was OK and I felt excited for months afterwards.
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I've had good and bad experiences. Last time was about 50 years ago.
 
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